[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S4429]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 127--CONGRATULATING CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THEIR 
   STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS ACROSS THE UNITED 
  STATES FOR THEIR ONGOING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION, AND FOR OTHER 
                                PURPOSES

  Mr. GREGG (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Frist, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. 
Sununu, Mr. Alexander, Mr. DeMint, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Burr, and 
Mr. Allard) submitted the following resolution; which was considered 
and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 127

       Whereas charter schools deliver high-quality education and 
     challenge our students to reach their potential;
       Whereas charter schools provide thousands of families with 
     diverse and innovative educational options for their 
     children;
       Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a 
     designated public entity that are responding to the needs of 
     our communities, families, and students and promoting the 
     principles of quality, choice, and innovation;
       Whereas in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given 
     to charter schools, they are held accountable by their 
     sponsors for improving student achievement and for their 
     financial and other operations;
       Whereas 41 States, the District of Columbia, and the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing 
     charter schools;
       Whereas nearly 3,300 charter schools are now operating in 
     40 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of 
     Puerto Rico and serving approximately 900,000 students;
       Whereas over the last 10 years, Congress has provided more 
     than $1,500,000,000 in support to the charter school movement 
     through facilities financing assistance and grants for 
     planning, startup, implementation, and dissemination;
       Whereas charter schools improve their students' achievement 
     and stimulate improvement in traditional public schools;
       Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement 
     accountability requirements under the Elementary and 
     Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the same manner as 
     traditional public schools, and often set higher and 
     additional individual goals to ensure that they are of high 
     quality and truly accountable to the public;
       Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose 
     their public school, routinely measure parental satisfaction 
     levels, and must prove their ongoing success to parents, 
     policymakers, and their communities;
       Whereas nearly 40 percent of charter schools report having 
     a waiting list, and the total number of students on all such 
     waiting lists is enough to fill over 1,000 average-sized 
     charter schools;
       Whereas charter schools nationwide serve a higher 
     percentage of low-income and minority students than the 
     traditional public system;
       Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan 
     support from the Administration, Congress, State Governors 
     and legislatures, educators, and parents across the United 
     States; and
       Whereas the sixth annual National Charter Schools Week, to 
     be held May 1 through 7, 2005, is an event sponsored by 
     charter schools and grassroots charter school organizations 
     across the United States to recognize the significant 
     impacts, achievements, and innovations of charter schools: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate acknowledges and commends charter schools 
     and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators 
     across the United States for their ongoing contributions to 
     education and improving and strengthening our public school 
     system;
       (2) the Senate supports the sixth annual National Charter 
     Schools Week; and
       (3) it is the sense of the Senate that the President should 
     issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United 
     States to conduct appropriate programs, ceremonies, and 
     activities to demonstrate support for charter schools during 
     this weeklong celebration in communities throughout the 
     United States.

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